Troy Wolff, pictured above, was stabbed to death on Sept. 13, 2013, at Seattle's Pioneer Square minutes after a Sounders game concluded. Police say Wolff died protecting his girlfriend from Donnell Jackson, a mentally ill man who has been found too sick to face trial. less

Troy Wolff, pictured above, was stabbed to death on Sept. 13, 2013, at Seattle's Pioneer Square minutes after a Sounders game concluded. Police say Wolff died protecting his girlfriend from Donnell Jackson, a ... more

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Troy Wolff, pictured above, was stabbed to death on Sept. 13, 2013, at Seattle's Pioneer Square minutes after a Sounders game concluded. Police say Wolff died protecting his girlfriend from Donnell Jackson, a mentally ill man who has been found too sick to face trial. less

Troy Wolff, pictured above, was stabbed to death on Sept. 13, 2013, at Seattle's Pioneer Square minutes after a Sounders game concluded. Police say Wolff died protecting his girlfriend from Donnell Jackson, a ... more

A Seattle man who fatally stabbed a Sounders fan in Pioneer Square is too mentally ill to be tried, a King County judge has ruled.

Apparently delusional during the September 2013 attack, Donnell D. Jackson is alleged to have fatally stabbed Shoreline Community College professor Troy Wolff. Jackson, 46, is also alleged to have attempted to kill Wolff’s girlfriend, who was seriously injured in the attack. Previously charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, Jackson has been confined since the killing.

Those charges were dismissed Thursday after a King County Superior Court judge found Jackson was unable to understand the charges against him or participate in his own defense. Judge Bill Bowman found, as prosecutors agreed, that it was unlikely Jackson can be made sane enough to face a jury any time soon.

Twyla Carter, Jackson’s public defender, described dismissal as a fair result.

“This was a tragic case for the victims and their families and for Mr. Jackson and his family,” Carter said. “It also speaks to the devastating impact mental illness can have on both individuals and our community. …

“Our laws prohibit people from going to prison when they don’t have the capacity to defend themselves. I’m hopeful he can get the help he needs in the state’s mental health system.”

Attorneys for Western State Hospital, one of two large state mental institutions, will now seek to have Jackson involuntarily committed through a civil commitment petition. Such a petition would allow for Jackson to remain in state custody indefinitely.

Bowman ordered that Jackson be held involuntarily for evaluation, an interim step that allows the state to seek a more permanent confinement order.

A murder charge could be filed again if Jackson becomes sane. Thursday’s decision doesn’t impact any insanity defense Jackson might put forward; the judge was considering Jackson’s current mental state, not his condition at the time of the killing.

“The defendant’s current mental condition prevents us from moving forward with a criminal prosecution at this time,” King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg said in a statement. “But there is no statute of limitations on murder charges, and we will pursue the charges if and when his legal competency is restored.

Police contend Jackson accosted Wolff and his girlfriend at 10:30 p.m. on Sept. 13, 2013 as they walked in the 300 block of South Jackson Street.

As the couple headed to the Pioneer Square light rail station, Jackson stabbed Wolff’s girlfriend in the chest twice without warning, Detective Cloyd Steiger said in court papers. Wolff attempted to fight off Jackson, who is alleged to have stabbed him repeatedly before police arrived to find Jackson standing over the downed man.

Witnesses later told police they heard Jackson repeating the phrase “blood money.” One said Jackson threatened to kill the pair early in the attack.

Questioned following the attack, Jackson offered the nonsensical claim that Wolff, his girlfriend and others were stalking him and trying to kill him, according to charging papers. Jackson is alleged to have claimed Wolff pointed a gun at him an hour before.

Writing the court, Senior Deputy Prosecutor Don Raz said Jackson described himself as schizophrenic and admitted he has been off his medication for four months. He moved to Seattle six months before and has been living on the streets since.

Wolff and his girlfriend were rushed to Harborview Medical Center following the attack. Wolff died later that night.

Formerly chair of the Shoreline English department, Wolff spent 17 years teaching at the community college.

In a statement, school president Daryl Campbell described the loss as “devastating.” Wolff’s family recalled him as a fun-loving man who made an impact on those around him.

"He touched a lot of lives and I think a lot of kids' lives were changed because of him, and I really believe that," his mother Pam Wolff told KOMO/4.

Jackson remains confined at King County Jail. Recent court decisions mean the state is required to place him in a psychiatric facility within seven days. The civil commitment proceedings will likely begin later this month while Jackson is placed at Western State, located in Lakewood.